


A Future with You

by Dipuc (TomAyto10)



Series: Life in a Leather Bound Notebook [2]
Category: Original Work, 弱虫ペダル | Yowamushi Pedal
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 02:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5609998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomAyto10/pseuds/Dipuc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A snippet of the life of gay uncles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Future with You

He awoke to the birds chirping merrily in the window. It always made him smile, hearing those little incessant sounds. It also drove Ren insane, so that was a plus.

Thomas Cline sat up and stretched, blinking in morning sun. He looked over to the side of the bed, where his lover was still snoring away contently. He was surprised; Ren was a morning person and loved breakfast.  

The blonde grinned because he knew exactly why Ren was still so tired. 

He  _ might _ be at fault, Thomas admitted to himself.  He  _ had _ been insatiable last night. 

Thomas shifted under the sheets and then literally pounced on the man, who woke with a start.

Beautiful almond eyes glared at him, and even though it was an annoyed look, Thomas basked in the attention. 

"Mornin' darlin’." He drawled out to the man, leaning over to peck the end of his nose. Ren scrunched it up in response. 

"You're not cute enough to do stuff like this," He said and Thomas pouted at that, "And you're heavy."

Thomas sputtered,  "Shut up, you grumpy bastard. I am not heavy. I am beautiful, and you know that." He narrowed his eyes, "You said so last night, didn't you? I remember you distinctly crying out how beautiful I was, and how good I-"

Ren blushed hard and he cut him off him a jab to the ribs, "You never shut up with stuff like that.  And thanks for reminding me of last night." His long fingers reached up to tangle themselves in the blonde's locks, "You kept me up. You're going to have to pay me back for that."

Thomas shivered but refused to show his interest,  "Ha. With the service I did, you should pay  _ me _ . Anyways," He slapped away the hand, and sat back, "I have to go. I need to be at Maki's place in an hour and a half to pick up Sakamichi." Ren sat up so suddenly that Thomas was vaulted back, and he could only lay back in stunned silence as Ren went to the closet to get ready. "Hurry up. I don't want you to be late."

Thomas sat back up and glared at the man.

"You idiot! You suck! Why do I like you! You're such an asshole!" Thomas yelled out.

Ren, as usual, ignored him and headed for the showers.

Thomas flopped back in the bed. Well, there went his morning make out plan. No matter, he could console himself by spoiling his favorite nephew rotten.

Thomas rolled over in bed, and after stretching his arms, he got ready for the day.

 

They walked to the train station together, Thomas tailing after Ren sleepily.  Last night's activities were catching up to him. Ren was nice enough to volunteer to take him to the train,  and even wait with him before he went to work. "You going to be at the office all day?" He asked, yawning. 

Ren nodded, typing furiously into his phone, "I have the Korea showing to book. SangMi sent me the interested sponsors, and it's turning bigger than I thought."

Thomas beamed,  "That's great for Maki. He actually looks excited for this."

"He should be. This is huge leap for us. You know that more than anyone."

Thomas nodded, tired of business all of a sudden, "Yes, boss, I know." He pulled at Ren's sweater, "But all work and no play makes  _ Ren _ a dull boy." Thomas grinned as he added, "Well, even  _ more _ of a dull boy."

Ren just blinked at the words, "Is that a dumb American saying?" He said, as always bluntly, "and you had plenty of fun recently."

Thomas winked, "One can never have too much fun, Love. "

Ren snorted, "I beg to differ."

_ Argh _ , Ren was all business this morning.  What a stickler. Thomas decided to ignore him, and scanned the waiting pedestrians.

He spotted an older couple across the street, and smiled at how adorable they were.They were even wearing matching sweaters and holding hands. 

"Aw. We should do that." He told his boyfriend.  Ren glanced at the couple, "What? Get old? Don't worry, you're getting there."

Thomas pushed at him with his shoulder,  "No, you idiot, wear matching sweaters and hold hands like that, even when we're old."

Ren looked at the couple, and shoved his phone into his pocket. "Why?"

"I don't know... It's cute."

"Old people are not cute."

Thomas rolled his eyes, "You are such a buzz kill."

Ren was quiet for a moment,  and then he asked, "So, you wanna grow old with me?"

Thomas frowned at his tone, "Of course." He reached out and intertwined their hands together,  and Ren didn't pull away like he used. He did stiffen and his dark eyes bounced around for a moment before focusing on the joined hands. But he didn't pull away, and Thomas was suddenly so happy. "Of course I want to grow old with you, Ren. We could get a little place by the sea, and I could go fishing for food,  and you could learn to crochet doilies-"

Ren tightened his hold, squeezing him lightly, "Doilies? What the hell are doilies?"

Thomas reached out to grab his other hand, and stepped in closer, "It's like these knitted circle things that grandmas make. They're pretty, like spiderwebs, but um... ?" He faltered slightly, "My Gram used to make them. She was always trying to make my Gran learn, too. I guess whenever I think of a happy old couple, I think of doilies. They're cute."

Ren watched him, and then pulled away his hand to reach up to touch Thomas' cheek. "Are they still alive? Your grandparents?"

It was such a blunt question, and Thomas chuckled. Oh Ren, such a tactful socialite. 

"No, Babe. They died a while ago. My Gram went first, and my Gran went shortly after.  Died of a broken heart, they say. I guess they couldn't live without each other."

Ren's face was unreadable, as it was often, and Thomas leaned into his touch. 

"Is that how we're going to be? When we're old?"

Thomas felt his breath catch.  _ Oh _ , that was so  _ romantic _ . Unfortunately, Ren continued, "Well with the way you eat, you will definitely go first."

Thomas groaned, "Why would you ruin such a perfect moment, you dork!"

Ren shook his head, "I'm just telling you. You should eat better, that's all."

"I like food! Is that a sin!?" Thomas yanked his hand away, and turned around like a petulant child. "For once, can you not be a total jerk?"

Ren only nudged him towards the train station. "That is not one of my talents."

Thomas crossed his arms, and stepped away from Ren's touch, still miffed about his lover's utter lack of tact and romantic flair. He knew Ren would never be a slick sweet talker but sometimes it was nice to imagine. They stood in silence as they waited for the train, Thomas feeling slightly dejected. 

He felt drifting fingers touch the small of his back. His spiteful side wanted to ignore them but he was a lovesick moron and any affection from Ren melted his heart. He fell somewhere in the middle. 

He turned to him, "What." 

He was a little crabby, but that wasn't his fault. Thomas excused himself by reasoning that Ren was impossible to deal with sometimes. 

Ren's deep brown eyes looked pensive. Thomas often drowned in that dark gaze. It always made his knees weak, when Ren looked at him like that, like he was the only being on earth.

"I couldn't do it either..." He said, voice barely a whisper, his hand drifting up his spine, thin delicate fingers caressing him. Thomas was turning into a puddle under all the attention, but he tried to prepare himself for the inevitable disappointing end of that statement. 

"Couldn't do what?"

Ren leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his temple, and Thomas clutched the end of his sweater. 

_ Kissing! Kissing in public, wow wow, wow... _

"You know... live without you. I couldn't do it."

Thomas felt all the blood drain out of his body at the words, and his eyes teared up.  _ Oh, oh! _

Ren was very adamantly avoiding his gaze, and his face was so red, but his touch on Thomas' back was warm and reassuring. 

Thomas carefully bowed down to catch his gaze finding the often grumpy man so shy, and so cute.  "Ren... " He called softly, and Ren sighed heavily and shifted his eyes defeatedly to Thomas’ blue ones. “Don’t say anything. I’m embarrassed as it is.”

Thomas grinned and reached up to touch lips, soft and shy. Nothing in his usual style. As his mom often said, he didn’t know restraint. He always had to be conscious that Ren was still very paranoid and new to the whole the public knowing.

Ren frowned into the kiss, and after a still moment, he cupped the back of the blonde’s neck, pressing him closer and deepening it.

When they parted, all Thomas wanted to do was press himself close to his lover and feel his heartbeat, but he just grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. 

“That has to be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said, Ren. That was… so wonderful to hear, Babe.”

Ren did that terribly adorable thing that all the Makishimas did, scratching his cheek and averting his eyes, “Don’t be stupid. It’s only the truth. Nothing more.”

Thomas let the name calling slide because his heart was so full, but he did peck him on the nose, only because Ren was so cute, in that weird awkward way, “I love you too, Ren, I really do.” He slid his hands up his chest, already asking for another kiss.

Ren predictably frowned and leaned back, “Alright, later. Hold on ‘till we get home. The train is coming.” He glanced around to the people who  _ were _ watching them, and tightened his hold on Thomas’ hand, nervous.

Thomas smiled at him, “Okay. I’ll wait, but you're getting ambushed as soon as I get through the door.” His smile turned dark and sultry, and Ren’s lips pressed into a line when he saw the blonde’s face, “I want to encourage your sweetness with some sweetness of my own.”

Thomas relished in the sight of Ren swallowing hard, and blushing even harder.

 

Often, Thomas was reminded that Ren was a quietly devoted sort of person, who most of his life, he hid within himself. Thomas would often forget that Ren had to be encouraged gently and he had to be patient with him so much of the time. It was exasperating, exhausting, and downright ridiculous sometimes. They fought a lot, because Thomas was too bold and too outspoken for his own good, his feeling, whatever they were at the moment, pouring out of him like an overfilled cup. And Ren, well Ren was an asshole who always thought he was right.

But in the midst of those moments, Ren would sometimes surprise him. Would do or say something so wonderfully sweet and beautiful, that Thomas would swear on the moon and the stars that Ren was the world’s most perfect man.

 

Like right at this moment…

 

He didn’t expect to find Ren in the midst of thin little strings and a pained look on his face.

 

His day with Sakamichi had gone wonderful. 

They boy was so fun to take care of, but it was cut short when Maki decided to come back early.  Apparently, he had gotten into a bit of a spat  with Toudou, who, though Maki denied it vehemently, was Maki's soul mate.

So, he returned earlier than expected. And what he found was Ren surrounded by threads of blue and white string, wrapped around his arms and his legs,  the empty rolls lying uselessly on the ground. 

 

“I thought you were going to be another hour…” Ren said, looking like a dog caught digging in the flower beds.

Thomas walked over to his lover, bemused at the mess of thread surrounding the man, “What are you doing, Babe?”

Ren sighed loudly, and Thomas noticed the crochet needle in his hand, “I was attempting to… pick up a new hobby.” 

Thomas picked up the magazine on Ren’s lap. It was an instructional on how to make doilies, and Thomas’ jaw dropped. “Wha-”

“You said… You said your grandmother used to make them, and you always thought of them when you think of an old happy couple… so… well.”

 

It was in this moment that he would fight anyone in the world to prove that Ren was the perfect, most beautiful human being in the world, because he really was. Thomas threw the magazine over his shoulder and crawled into the man’s lap. Ren leaned back to accommodate him and Thomas wasted no time in kissing him, and kissing him hard. 

“You are just an idiot.” He said against his lips, cupping his chin and pulling him in for another kiss, “I love you so much.”

Ren panted against him, eyes darkening and his hands came up to confidently slide up the American’s thighs, “Yeah, yeah… Whatever.”

Thomas ignored the lack of returned affection because Ren didn’t need to say it. He was showing it. Thomas tugged at his shirt, “Let’s make love, Ren.” He pushed his lips to an ear, tugging at it with small sharp teeth, eliciting a hiss from Ren. "You promised me this morning,  'member?"

Ren nudged at Thomas and the blonde clambered off, excited and eager. 

Ren tired to stand up, but he couldn’t get the thread off of him. Thomas watched for a minute as Ren struggled with the white and blue strings that just kept getting more and more tangled. 

The fire in his core was starting to cool, and Thomas dropped his face in his hands, “Oh god, at this rate, we’ll get too old to have erections! What is wrong with you!”

Ren glared up at him. “I don’t see you doing much to help, moron!”

Thomas pulled at the string, but his intervention only made the situation worse, “What. The. Hell! Why is this stupid thread cockblocking us!!”

Ren flopped back and grimaced, clearly giving up. “Forget it! I’m done.”

Thomas pouted, “NOoooooo! C’mon! I wanna screw around! C’mon Ren!”

Ren only grunted, “I’m too tired, now.”

“You are so lazy!” 

Ren rolled his eyes, “Says the laziest person in the world.”

The blonde dropped on the floor, resting his head on Ren’s knee. “This is so stupid! I can’t even take off your pants!”

Ren reached out and pushed his hand through Thomas’ blonde locks, and the man was instantly in a better mood. “We could always do something else.”

Thomas looked up, surprised for a second time tonight, “Like kinky stuff?” Then he thought of an idea, and his eyes sharpened, “Hmmmm? Do you wanna watch me do naughty things, Ren?”

Ren coughed awkwardly, turning red. “No, you pervert. I was not thinking of that.” He scanned Thomas’ pouty looked and added, “At least not right now…” He cleared his throat and picked up the crochet needle, “No, I was thinking of learning to do this. I want to… fulfill that dumb dream of yours.”

Thomas smiled, “It’s not dumb. You’re dumb. Why would you use this much string?”

“I was trying to do something sweet, you ungrateful brat.”

“Well, you didn’t do a very good job, now did you.”

“Shut up!”

Thomas grinned at the man who was now frowning at him, “I love you too, Babe. It was sweet, and I love it so much that you remembered that about me. I’m so happy that you tried to learn to make them. It’s hard you know.”

Ren stared at him for a moment, as if expecting a snotty retort, but when it didn’t come,he blushed. “Yeah, I figured that out.”

Thomas pulled at the hand in his hair, and he leaned forward to kiss the fingers, like his Gran used to do his Gram, and he had never understood it. Now he did. He loved these fingers and the man they belonged to. 

“You have very skilled hands, Ren. You’ll be able to do it.” 

Ren watched him, his eyes starting to smoulder, “You sure you want me when I’m old and ugly?”

Thomas leaned up, kissed him slowly, sinking his hands into his hair, “Who says you’re not ugly now?”

Ren actually pouted and Thomas had to laugh, “I’m kidding. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on. You always will be.”

Ren groaned, “That is… too much. Too-”

Thomas sat back on his haunches at Ren’s feet and shrugged, “It’s true.” His eyes sparkled, “Especially when you’re naked.”

Ren turned that wonderful rosy color and he kicked at the blonde.”Stop it with those things.” He picked up the needle again, “Help me with this.”

Thomas smiled, and reached over to grab an untangled roll of thread and the magazine. “I don’t know well myself, but we can learn together.”

Ren frowned and scanned the magazine, adjusting his thin fingers according to the instructions printed there. Thomas could only look at him adoringly.

 

They were an odd pair, Thomas would be the first to admit that. Ren loved the morning and black coffee, and Thomas loved a midnight drink. The American made a big deal of every holiday, and Ren liked a quiet restful celebration. 

But none of that mattered. Thomas could really see their future. A small house somewhere quiet, not to far from the city but not too close, with Ren’s ragged uneven pitiful attempts at making doilies littering the place. Thomas couldn’t help feeling so happy with the daydream.

“I can’t wait…” He murmured and Ren raised an eyebrow at him, stopping his progress, or rather lack of progress, with the thread. “What? Can’t wait for what?”

“For a future with you.” Thomas said, full of heart.

Ren, always the less sensitive, snorted rudely. “Concentrate on here and now, dummy. Worry about the future… well, in the future.”

Thomas blinked.

Ren was right. He should be focused on now. 

And right now, it was his lover, desperately struggling with the thin thread wrapped around his fingers, looking like he was disarming a bomb. 

Thomas smiled crookedly, feeling the utter joy fill his veins.

Yes, young or old, Ren was Ren no matter what age, and Thomas would always, always love him.

“Shit!” Ren cursed as he got the crochet needle caught in a hopeless tangle of string, “This is so stupidly hard...”

_ Yes _ . Thomas thought fondly, giggling at his one true love. He would love him, even if he made the world’s worst looking doilies… because the future was with him.

And even better...

The present was too...


End file.
